Capcom's foundational Resident Evil series is one of the most popular video game franchises of all time and a breakthrough title for the survival horror genre. Resident Evil was hardly the first title in the survival horror genre, but it's largely become emblematic of the frightening variety of games after more than 35 years of dominating the industry. Resident Evil has become such a recognizable brand that it's successfully expanded to feature film franchises, animated series, manga spin-offs, and more.
Resident Evil has made zombie apocalypses common events in the video game industry, but they also constantly look for new ways to terrify their audience. By design, the Resident Evil series is meant to get under the player's skin, but there are some specific moments that still cause nightmares in the fandom.
10 The First Zombie Appearance
It occasionally takes time for a video game series to find its footing, but the original Resident Evil contains some trademark scares that remain iconic today, even though the controls in the game leave a lot to be desired.
The sheer concept of facing endless hordes of zombies induces anxiety, but the series' first real look at one of these undead individuals is a haunting stroke of genius. Resident Evil lets this encounter linger for an uncomfortably long period until the feasting zombie finally turns around and the audience gets a proper look at their face.
9 Resident Evil 2's Two-Way Mirror Licker Surprise
Resident Evil 2 introduces many of the series' most popular monsters, with the disturbing Licker being chief among them. The Licker's initial reveal is horrific, but Resident Evil 2 conjures even greater fear through its simple, yet brilliant, two-way mirror setpiece.
The Resident Evil games find big success through jump scares that only trigger after they've been done multiple times and the player's guard is lowered. The two-way mirror interrogation room in Resident Evil 2 is innocuous at first, but the surprise burst of the Licker through this partition is an early highlight in the series.
8 Nemesis Shows Up For The First Time
The reception towards Resident Evil 3: Nemesis has only grown brighter over time, largely thanks to the game's next-gen remake. The Nemesis remake is undeniably a prettier package that's able to tap into more visceral fear as a result, but the original game offers a lot more nuance and creativity than its modern version.
That being said, the threat of bio-weapon Nemesis is terrifying, regardless of which version of the game is played. The first two Resident Evil games establish intimidating bio-weapon Tyrants, but Nemesis' unstoppable nature intensifies the experience and makes the audience always feel apprehensive.
7 Resident Evil 7's "Beginning Hour" Found Footage Videotape
Resident Evil 6's action-heavy gameplay soured the series' reputation and caused a major tonal pivot for its successor. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard pointedly returns the franchise to its horror roots and makes effective use of an intimate first-person perspective. Biohazard is a consistently frightening experience, but the game's demo, "Beginning Hour," excels in the found-footage horror department.
"Beginning Hour" puts the player in the shoes of a documentary film crew's cameraman, who explores an abandoned house on the Baker family's lot. "Beginning Hour" effectively gets in the player's head and features flashes of hidden ghosts, which are absent in the actual game.
6 The Giant Baby Chase Through House Beneviento
Resident Evil Village, the eighth main entry in the survival horror franchise, continues to follow Biohazard's Ethan Winters and still embraces its predecessor's first-person presentation style and the return to intense horror. Each of the Four Lords that Ethan must best are terrifying in their own ways.
House Beneviento contains a trippy sequence that's pure nightmare fuel as Ethan is forced to outrun a humongous, malformed baby fetus. The way in which this baby crawls forward and cries is thoroughly upsetting and the automatic death that plays out if he catches up to Ethan is even worse.
5 Resident Evil 4's Looming Chainsaw Attack
Resident Evil 4 completely redefined how the franchise could work, and it's still heralded as a high point in the industry, let alone in the survival horror franchise. Resident Evil 4 introduces some terrifying new monsters that operate on a greater scale than ever before.
The quill-filled Regenerators are easily the most disturbing creatures in the game, but a more psychological terror is created through another enemy and their sound design. Resident Evil 4 is the first game with chainsaws, and there's nothing quite like hearing the weapon's engine revving up, out of sight, and followed by a surprise evisceration.
4 Mr. X Bursts Through The Wall
Resident Evil 3's Nemesis is a master of surprise attacks, but this effective shtick first starts in Resident Evil 2 with the game's resilient bio-weapon Tyrant, Mr. X.
Resident Evil has plenty of dangerous enemies up until this point, but Mr. X is closer to a boss encounter due to his tendency to attack whenever he wants and not let pesky obstacles like walls get in his way. Mr. X's surprise appearances are all effective, but the first one hits the hardest since the player is completely unprepared for this level of destruction and power.
3 The Assault Against Mutated Marguerite Baker
A Resident Evil game truly suffers if it doesn't feature compelling and creative villains, so the creepy community present within Biohazard's Baker family makes a distinct impression. The entire family is problematic and it doesn't help that Ethan is stuck in their playground through all of this.
The chase that plays out with Jack Baker should traumatize the player, but the second encounter against a morbidly mutated Marguerite Baker is even worse. Marguerite's spider-like movements and her ability to surprise Ethan with her attacks makes the whole experience uncomfortable.
2 Alfred Ashford's Frayed Mental State
Resident Evil CODE: Veronica has struggled to find proper respect over the years, and the sequel's debut on Sega's Dreamcast wasn't met with the reception that was anticipated. CODE: Veronica returns to Resident Evil 2's Claire Redford with a massive story that spans across the globe. New enemies like the Bandersnatch are terrifying, but CODE: Veronica engages in some surprisingly effective psychological horror with the Ashford family.
With a twist that borrows heavily from Hitchcock's Psycho, it's revealed that Alfred's interactions with his sister, Alexia, are a form of mental fracture. A real Alexia does exist, but it's a grim turn and one that's not the norm for the series.
1 Dinner With The Baker Family In Resident Evil 7
The level of immersion that's present in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard amplifies the series' scares in new ways. Biohazard embraces some new influences for its breed of horror, and it's easy to see the similarities between the game's eccentric Baker family and the Sawyers' house of horrors in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
One of the most upsetting moments in both of these horror texts involves a rude awakening at the most uncomfortable family dinner imaginable. Ethan is completely helpless during this interaction, and the audience is forced to acclimate to the Bakers and their frightening lives.